Best 1H weapon choice for a Devoted at this stage of the game?

[Stardusk78]

Sabers/Swords? I want to make a dual-wielding Devoted/Stalker so I am looking for the best choice of 1H weapons; in terms of variety, Swords and Sabers still seem where it is at. Thoughts?

[Boeroer]

Sabres not really because of the single damage type. Unless you don't care that you get -10 ACC and -2 PEN in cases where you have to switch. I mean there are some really nice sabres...

 

Swords are good. War Hammers are also good but nice unique ones come a bit lateish.

 

A great one is the Kapana Tags Club since it has two damage types and works really well with the increased engagement slots it provides + the ones you can get from Devoted (+4 ACC per engaged target, stacks with everything) synergies very well with the enhanced crit damage of the Devoted.

 

Offhand: shield, weapon or nothing by the way?

[Stardusk78]

Sabres not really because of the single damage type. Unless you don't care that you get -10 ACC and -2 PEN in cases where you have to switch. I mean there are some really nice sabres...

 

Swords are good. War Hammers are also good but nice unique ones come a bit lateish.

 

A great one is the Kapana Tags Club since it has two damage types and works really well with the increased engagement slots it provides + the ones you can get from Devoted (+4 ACC per engaged target, stacks with everything) synergies very well with the enhanced crit damage of the Devoted.

 

Offhand: shield, weapon or nothing by the way?

I wanted to dual wield tbh. I had thought about clubs and combining it with Woedica's Shard or whatever you call it. Guess it would be swords then...

[Boeroer]

I guess. It's a nice collection.

[brasilgringo]

Something to consider is axe.  Because there are 2 nice 2hd axes you can get if you want to go 2-hand at any time.  The Amra axe you can get early and will provide a Frenzy buff.  There's also a nice axe later from Seeker Slayer Survivor DLC that upgrades might inspirations - so you can get frenzy from Amra, switch to the Slayer's Claw axe, and your might inspiration becomes Tenacious with +2 PEN.  Then you can always switch back to 1H and the buff stays for its duration.

[Ensign]

I dislike dual wield devoted. Very few weapon types are deep enough to make it shine over single weapon style with the best weapon available.

 

If you really want to dual wield I would suggest war hammers. With BoW installed you can get two great ones midway through the game.

 

Flails and sabres are good too, but only a single damage type (so you'd be stinking it up against the occasional immune enemy - fortunately not super common).

 

Swords give you a lot of uniques early but only have one standout weapon. I think it's a good choice to one handed style but dual wielding it is going to be really underwhelming midway through the game.

Edited January 19, 2019 by Ensign

[Elric Galad]

I dislike dual wield devoted. Very few weapon types are deep enough to make it shine over single weapon style with the best weapon available.

 

If you really want to dual wield I would suggest war hammers. With BoW installed you can get two great ones fairly early.

 

Flails and sabres are good too, but only a single damage type (so you'd be stinking it up against the occasional immune enemy - fortunately not super common).

 

Swords give you a lot of uniques early but only have one standout weapon. I think it's a good choice to one handed style but dual wielding it is going to be really underwhelming midway through the game.

 

On the other hand, DW Devoted can pick a non-crush weapon type with single damage, and pick monastic training so they have a backup type of damages.

 

A stalker/devoted with Scordeo's Edge and Tarn's Respite can achieve a stupidly high level of accuracy. Devoted bonus to crit would like it.

I'm not sure what to do with that much crits.

 

You can also pick Slayer's Claw, not use it for fighting but for receiving Champion's Boon at the start of the fight, so you'll be Energized and able to interrupt on crit.

But that's theorycrafting.

[Boeroer]

Swords give you a lot of uniques early but only have one standout weapon. I think it's a good choice to one handed style but dual wielding it is going to be really underwhelming midway through the game.

 

I do not agree. Take for example Watcher's Blade: nobody talks about it, but once it's upgraded it has a 20% raw lash. That's more damage than doing Flames of Devotion (20% burn) with every strike. You can get it very early and it stays good throughout the whole game. Modwyr is very nice (also 20% lash, elemental though but with additional attack speed). Those two can carry you through any playthrough easily. For a second weapon slot pick up Hel Beckoning + Whispers of Yenwood for fighting spirits. 

Edited January 19, 2019 by Boeroer

[Verde]

Modwyr is prob one the top 3 weapons in the game imho.

 

There is also Duskfall. I love Watcher's Blade for the very cool upgrade to spawn a shadow upon kith kill.

[Enoch]

War Hammers are also good but nice unique ones come a bit lateish.

Depends on your meta-knowledge level.  Glacierbane is pretty well gated, but Last Word is attainable straight out of Port Maje, if you know how to turn the traps off in the Sandswept Ruin.  Similarly, Resounding Call is in the Bardatto Vault, which you can burgle relatively early in your Neketaka questing, if you're paying attention to skill boosts.  (Might also want to grab the Bounding Boots first, as they make it much easier.)  And there's an easily stolen generic Superb War Hammer in the longhouse in Sayuka. 

[Ensign]

That's a good point about Watcher's Blade being particularly good for a Devoted, since they don't have good options to swap for damage types. It's still a pretty major loss from single wielding Modwyr though, as it won't benefit from the accumulated speed stacks. Even if half the lash is getting eaten by armor Modwyr is going to be outperforming WB after a few swings.

 

I do agree that raw damage lashes are undervalued, but it's nowhere near as good as a Flames of Devotion per swing. The +10 accuracy on FoD is nearly as valuable as the lash, and there's power level scaling to take into account.

 

Plus if you are evaluating a weapon for DPS you have to include the sword tax.

[DozingDragon]

Sabres single damage type can be offset in part by getting the Animancer’s Blade, using Tuotillo’s Palm (counts as an unarmed weapon), activating the modal, or using abilities that decrease enemy armor or boost Pen (Fighters have a few).

 

However, I think maces are worth looking at. The mace from Beast of Winter, Frostfall, does best of Crush/Freeze, and has some nice enchantments. The other two unique maces, the Magistrates Cudgel and Bardatto’s Luxury, should pair well with Frostfall.

Edited January 20, 2019 by DozingDragon

[Ensign]

Are there any crush immune mobs? Nothing is coming to mind.

[Marigoldran]

Bring a cipher with Driving Echoes for +8 pen and sabers are fine.  Unfortunately, you won't get that until late game.  

Edited January 20, 2019 by Marigoldran

[Enoch]

Are there any crush immune mobs? Nothing is coming to mind.

Bog Oozes.

 

Edit:  I initially mentioned Grubs, too, but, upon checking the Bestiary, it seems that they just have annoyingly high Crush AR for when you first encounter them.  

Edited January 20, 2019 by Enoch

[Boeroer]

That's a good point about Watcher's Blade being particularly good for a Devoted, since they don't have good options to swap for damage types. It's still a pretty major loss from single wielding Modwyr though, as it won't benefit from the accumulated speed stacks. Even if half the lash is getting eaten by armor Modwyr is going to be outperforming WB after a few swings.

 

I do agree that raw damage lashes are undervalued, but it's nowhere near as good as a Flames of Devotion per swing. The +10 accuracy on FoD is nearly as valuable as the lash, and there's power level scaling to take into account.

 

Plus if you are evaluating a weapon for DPS you have to include the sword tax.

Power Level base dmg scaling of any offensive weapon ability also works in favor of the raw lash, not only for FoD's.

Several abilities have a +10 ACC bonus (Knockdown, Bkindig Strike etc.). So a Watcher's Blade will have a free 20% raw lash, Power Level Scaling and +10 ACC when using a resource point and a free 20% lash with auto-attacks. Besides that I only compared the two because the numbers are equal and FoD is considered a good dmg tool. Nobody stops you from using FoD with Watcher's Blade and get both.

 

Speed bonus of Modwyr with Watcher's: Watcher's in main hand, Modwyr in offhand. Full Attacks will omit Watcher's recovery but have Modwyr's speed bonus. Also inherent speed bonus of 30% and 15% via dual wielding/two weapon style.

 

Plus (and that's the biggest point): OP said he's dual-wielding.

 

I can't see any encounter where dual swords would be 'really underwhelming' compared to a single sword. And besides that: nobody stops you from switching to the single blade temporarily if you must apply stuff with higher ACC or to build up hits or whatever. And switch back for some Full Attacks. For example...

Edited January 20, 2019 by Boeroer

[Boeroer]

Unfortunately, you won't get that until late game.

In marked contrast to your off-the-topic recommendations - which we will get as soon a new thread opens.

 

Also: +8 PEN against a slash immune enemy = zero dmg increase. In general putting +8 PEN on a Devoted is redundant. A Devoted should be able to penetrate because he's a Devoted. You'd better spend +8 PEN on somebody who has trouble penetrating - in most cases a caster.

Edited January 20, 2019 by Boeroer